Combination lock strip and structural member



April 17, 1945. R. M. BROWN COMBINATION LOCK STRIP ANf) STRUCTURALMEMBER Filed Nov. 9, 1942 m I 2 m M INVENTOR. A4. Eran/n r9 TTOE'NEY.

Patented Apr. 17, 1945 COMBINATION LOCK STRIP AND STRUCTURAL MEMBER.

Robert M. Brown,

Kansas City, Kans., assignor to Emile S. Quignon, Jr., Kansas City, Mo.Application November 9, 1942, Serial No. 464,976

This invention relates to structural members for portable buildings andhas for its primary aim to provide a. combination lock strip andstructural member which cooperates with specially formed building unitsin maintaining a wall or the like in assembled condition without the useof framework or other stress receiving elements.

3 Claims. (01. 20-4) 6 than the inner portions thereof-this due to thefact that the edges of unit 6 opposed to inclined faces 24 are inparallel relation and substantially perpendicular to the major plane ofthe units.

The width of the web of unit I6 is less than the I distance between theedges of units 6 between Another object of this invention is to providea portable building structure having as a part thereof a series of unitsarranged in edge-to-edge relation and a lock strip contoured tocooperate with the formed edges of the units in maintaining the parts innormal position.

This invention has for an even further object to provide a lock stripfor building units, the character of which insures progressively drawingtogether the abutting edges of the. units as the lock strip is moved tonormal place;

Specific details of construction, and particularly the manner of formingboth the edges of the building units and the lock strip constitutefurther objects of the invention, and such details will be clarifiedduring the course of the following specification referring to theaccompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective detailed view illustrating in astretched out condition, a combined lock strip and structural membermade in accordance with the present invention; and

Fig; 2 is a fragmentaryedge view through a joint formed between twoabutting building units and the lock strip forming a connectiontherebetween.

The units, broadly designated by the numeral 6, are of conventional formand have the-abutting edges thereof contoured as illustrated, to presentan L-shaped offset, two faces 8 and I respectively whereof, are undercutor disposed at an angle for the purpose of frictionally engaging 'angledfaces I! and M respectively, of the combined structural member and lockstrip l6.

The face 8 is intermediate the major planes of the outer surfaces ofunit 6 and the edge of the I unit lying between one of the majorsurfaces It and face 8, is angled outwardly from the outer edge. of face8 to present an inclined surface 20.

Member I6 is T-shaped in cross section and has a longitudinal groove 22formed along the web thereof to engage faces 8 as shown in Fig. 2. Theopposed longitudinal edges 24 of member it are inclined to diverge fromtheir line of meeting with angled faces I, and when these said inclinedfaces 24 lie in opposed relation to the proximal edges of units 6, theouter portion of strip I6 is closer to the edges of the abutting unitsfaces 8 and I0 formed on the shoulders of the edges of the units createdby the L-shaped offset in each.

When-units 6 are in abutting relation, a T- shaped roove is establishedfor the reception of structural member l6. The inclined surfaces 20 willabut as shown, with the outermost portions thereof in close proximitywhile the innermost portions are slightly spaced apart. Likewise faces24 will be inclined with respect to the directly opposed marginal edgesof units 6, and when tiemembers 26 are positioned and tightened, units 6will be drawn together and against faces 24 of member I6 to insure avery tight joint.

Tie-members 26 should be positioned to permit movement of units 6 towardeach other and as above mentioned, the width of the web portion ofstructural member It should be less than the distance between theopposed edge surfaces of units 6 to allow inward movement due to theengagement between the aforesaid inclined surfaces of both the units andtie-member 6 and it respectively.

This tie-member l6 may be first set up in a building to be a loadbearing member and thereafter units 6 secured thereto to create a tightjoint.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a portable building, a plurality of units arranged in edge-to-edgerelation; and a combined lock strip and structural member'at the meetingedges of said units, said units each having a pair of undercutshoulders, said strip being T-shaped in cross section and having a,central web provided with a longitudinal groove to simultaneouslyreceive one undercut shoulder of eachof a, pair of adjoining units, saidstrip having a head portion provided with opposedinclined facesconverging toward said web for respectively engaging the remainingundercut shoulders of adjoining units.

2. In a portable building, a plurality of units arranged in edge-to-edgerelation; and a combined lock strip and structural member at the meetingedges of said-units, said units each having a pair of undercutshoulders, said strip being T-shaped in cross section and having acentral web provided with a longitudinalsgroove to simultaneouslyreceive one undercut shoulder of each of a pair of adjoining units, saidstrip having a head portion provided with opposed inclined facesconverging toward said web for respectively engaging the remainingundercut shoulders of adjoining units, the width of the head of saidstrip at its outer face being greater than at the inner face thereof,whereby to establish. tighter engagement between the proximal units andthe strip at the outer face of the latter than at the inner facethereof.

3. In a portable building, a plurality of units arranged in edge-to-edgerelation; and a combined lock strip and structural member at the meetingedges of said units, said units each having a pair of undercutshoulders, said strip being T-shaped in cross section and having acentral web provided with a longitudinal groove to simultaneouslyreceive one undercut shoulder of each of a pair of adjoining units, saidstrip having a head portion provided with opposed inclined facesconverging toward said web for respectively engaging the remainingundercut shoulders of adjoining units, the width of the head of saidstrip at its outer face being greater than at the inner ROBERT M. BROWN.

